by Misty Malloy
Dane stared at him as if he had grown a horn in the center of his forehead. “Why the hell not? You guys were getting real friendly. Shit, if you aren’t interested, I’m totally going to go for it. She’s smoking hot. Is she still here?” Dane scanned the bar.
Tristan growled again, this time loud enough that the guy next to him turned around, startled. Tristan ignored him and glared at Dane, his cat rippling with irritation. “Oh, really?”
“I’m kidding, man. But I know I’m right—you want her bad. You really should have gotten her number.”
Tristan stared into his beer. “No, I’ll see her again in class. Anyway, I’m really not catching any feelings for this girl.”
So why hadn’t he gotten her number? There was something about her he couldn’t even describe. Something that gripped him by the balls. Stopped him in his tracks and made him think twice before saying anything. A girl like Mia could have anyone she wanted. Would she have laughed? Given him a fake number? He had sensed something between them, but, for all he knew, she could be a big tease.
“And like I told you already,” Tristan added, “I’m laying low this year. I don’t want any girl drama like it always comes down to. Just riding things out until I graduate and then move up to Phoenix.”
“Right, right. And then work real estate with your dad. Then you can be a real pimp.”
“Okay. So, first you tell me I have a drooling problem. Which I do not have. And now you’re saying my dad is a douchebag. What’s going on with you today?”
Dane raised both hands in the air in mock surrender. “Whoa, cowboy. Sorry, that was a bit below the belt. I didn’t mean to be a dick. What I meant to say…is that your dad’s a pimp. In a good way. You know I think your dad’s great. He’s always got a fancy car and a new lady friend on his arm every time I’ve visited you.”
Tristan blew out a breath. Dane had a point—his dad sometimes took living the good life to the extreme. Tristan’s parents had never married, and, even though he’d lived with his mom most of the time as a kid, he’d spent the summers at his dad’s. His dad had always had a new woman around—or a few—until it suited him to get another. But he also worked hard and had always been a good father to Tristan. Most importantly, his dad seemed happy, and that was what mattered, right?
Tristan couldn’t think of anything better than living an easy, stress-free life. He was willing to work hard for it, like his dad had done, but he also looked forward to plenty of playtime. One more year and he would be well on his way to making that happen.
Now, if he could only figure out what to do with Mia. He couldn’t deny it—he wanted her in his bed. Bad. She was fun, playful, and sexy—would she want to have a no-strings-attached relationship? He sure hoped so. Because if he didn’t get her out of his mind or into her pants soon, he was definitely going to blow a nut.
Chapter Three
Tristan wiped the sweat off his brow with a towel as he adjusted the controls on the treadmill. He slowed down from a run to a light jog and looked toward the free weights area of the gym. Damn. Super packed. He made a mental note to come a half hour earlier tomorrow. With school in full swing, late afternoons were a popular time for students to come work out and, more importantly, check each other out. Most classes were done for the afternoon, and, even with the storm brewing outside, the rec center swarmed with girls in short-shorts and guys wearing muscle tees.
His phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket. He wasn’t at all surprised to see a text message from Dane. His friend always made excuses for not attending a workout session.
Dane: Hey, man. Not going to make it to the gym today. Sorry. Doing something else.
Tristan: Sure. No problem.
Tristan chuckled under his breath. Knowing Dane, “doing something else” could mean anything from doing homework to getting a blowjob from the girl downstairs.
Dane: You missed out on some fun today. Promise not to be pissed?
Tristan: Too late. I’m already pissed.
A few minutes went by with no response. The verge of a smile crept along the edge of Tristan’s lip as he wiped off the treadmill with disinfectant spray and a paper towel. Okay. So what the hell did Dane do this time?
Tristan: Just kidding. Spill it.
Dane: Ok. Well. Spent the afternoon by the pool with your little girlfriend. From last night at the bar. Um…Mia, I think?
Tristan stared at his phone for a moment. Irritation burbled up inside of him. What the fuck? He imagined the scene— Dane and Mia, making out by the pool. And Dane couldn’t even remember her name? He reread the message a few times while his cat seethed with anger.
Dane: Hey. Are you there?
Tristan considered putting the phone back in his pocket and ignoring the message. Dane had insisted on making a big deal about Tristan being into her the previous night. So, why would he try something like this? After another moment of deliberation, he typed a message.
Tristan: Are you fucking serious???
Dane: Shit. Don’t be mad. I found out she lives in my apartment complex when I saw her. I was already hanging out when she and her roomie came down. Didn’t have my phone to text you to come over with your swim trunks and sexy bod.
Tristan paused. Okay. This he could handle.
Tristan: Did you hook up with her?
Dane: Geez! Fuck no. Didn’t realize you were going to get your pussy panties all in a bunch.
Tristan snorted. Pussy panties? He did not have his pussy panties in a bunch. He tossed the paper towel into the trash and headed to the weights area. He glanced up from his phone just in time to avoid running into a girl coming from the opposite direction. Trying to keep an eye on his surroundings, he responded to Dane’s text.
Tristan: No pussy panties here.
Dane: Got it. By the way, she looked hot. Tiny bikini. You totally missed out.
Tristan grimaced. Dane knew how to keep rubbing it in.
Dane: Don’t get mad again. I know you, man. You like this girl. The next thing you’re going to tell me is that you guys are mates or something. LOL Anyway, later.
Tristan burst out in a loud laugh at the absurdity of it all. Jaguars didn’t go for the whole mate thing. They were solitary. Sometimes, they’d make an agreement with another shifter, or a human, to have cubs. Usually, it involved a simple contract, not even a marriage. He shook his head, still amused at Dane’s ridiculousness, and scrutinized the weights area.
A few guys moved over to give Tristan some space in front of one of the mirrors. Tristan nodded a thank you to them. He put his phone in his shorts pocket and stretched one arm across his chest, loosening up his tight muscles. He quickly planned out his workout—today, he’d do his shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
He let out a deep breath. What he needed right now was a good, sweaty, iron-pumping session to distract him from thoughts of Mia in a bathing suit.
Mmm. A tiny bikini. That really did sound hot.
***
He pinned Mia’s arms to her sides as she squirmed beneath him, laughing. He hovered over her naked body on the bed, his muscled form outlined in the dim lighting of the room, and she wanted nothing more than to run her hands across the hardness of his chest. She wriggled some more and used one knee to push up against him.
“You’re a strong little kitty, aren’t you?” he asked, an amused grin on his face.
Mia giggled. He had no idea. He was strong, much stronger than she was, but she could definitely hold her own. She allowed herself to be pinned only because she enjoyed this game.
Tristan let go of her arms and pulled her hips toward the edge of the bed. He knelt and, taking her foot in one of his large hands, nipped her on the ankle. Mia gasped, and her inner lioness purred. Yes, more please.
The amber in Tristan’s eyes burned bright as he kept his gaze on her, licking his way along the soft skin of her calf muscle. His teeth roughly grazed her knee, and he bit her again, this time on th
e inside of her thigh. He pushed her legs apart, exposing her wet, throbbing pussy. He sat back on his heels, and a look of pure carnal lust filled his eyes.
“Do you like what you see?” Mia caressed her breasts. Circling a nipple with fingers of one hand, she moved the other down across her stomach to brush against her clean-shaven mound.
“You are fucking beautiful,” Tristan murmured, his voice low and guttural. “I want you to show me how you pleasure yourself.”
Mia awoke with her hand in her panties. She lazily dipped a finger into her wet pussy and then used the wetness to lightly trace around her swollen clit. She dripped with arousal, her juices having completely soaked through the lacey fabric. Pert and puckered, her nipples ached underneath the thin tank top she had put on before she had taken her nap. Dammit, Tristan Tanner. That dream had gotten her so hot and horny.
Outside her bedroom, a storm raged, and rain lashed at the windows. A large crack of thunder shook the entire apartment. No wonder she had woken up from her delicious dream. She didn’t know if anyone could sleep through the mayhem occurring right outside her window.
Mia gently stroked the warm, wet folds of her sex. The sheets were cool and silky and smooth, and she wriggled underneath them, imagining the touch of Tristan’s hands all over her. A quick peek at her bedside clock said 5:34 pm. Oooh, perfect. She had plenty of time before she needed to start reading the homework for her Greek history class.
A loud knock on her door sent her hand jolting out of her panties. Drea didn’t wait for her to respond but, instead, opened the door and poked her head inside. “Mia! Are you sleeping through your first monsoon? It’s raging outside!”
“Oh! Well…I’m definitely awake now.” Mia sat up in the bed and immediately shivered. Her roommate had adjusted the air conditioning again, and it wasn’t helping matters with her already hard nipples.
Drea stared at Mia’s chest. “You’d better be careful. You’re going to poke someone’s eyes out with those.”
Mia shrugged. “It’s a bit cold in here. Some people in this house are mistaking the lovely, warm desert for the arctic tundra.”
Drea laughed. “You’ll get used to it. Come on, let’s go watch the storm. Meet me out on the balcony.”
“Okay. I’ll be out in a minute.” Mia yawned and stretched, her toes uncurling luxuriously near the foot of her bed. Part of her wanted to slide under the covers and fall back asleep, to see if she could find out what Dream Tristan had planned next. Or maybe…she could finish what she had started before she had been interrupted.
Why did Tristan turn her on so much? Of course he was drop dead sexy. Positively finger-licking good. But that didn’t explain why he’d popped up unexpectedly in her dreams only a day after she met him. Or why she could barely keep her lioness from shredding his clothes off last night at the bar. Something about him mesmerized her—the way he moved, the way he smelled. A low purr rumbled in her chest as she thought about the way his gaze, bold and demanding, had grabbed hold of her and threatened to liquefy her bones.
She wasn’t surprised at all so many girls had had their hearts stomped on by him. Or that he didn’t do relationships. But unlike the other girls, she didn’t want a relationship with him, or with anyone else. Who would have guessed she would have found the ideal situation during her first week at school? Tristan Tanner was hot, and her lioness wanted every inch him. She knew he wanted her, too. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect fling for both of them.
“Hey, Mia! Are you coming?”
“Be right there!” Mia blew out a big breath. Any pent up sexual energy was simply going to have to wait for the time being. She grabbed a T-shirt to go over her tank top and pulled on a pair of jeans. On her way down the hallway, she quickly adjusted the thermostat to a much more comfortable level.
Outside, lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder boomed, and sheets of rain pelted the overhang of the balcony. Mia joined Drea on one of the dry folding chairs, safely out of the downpour.
“Wow.” Mia stared out into the desert, absolutely amazed at the storm. Only a few hours earlier, after her last class of the day, she’d spent some time at the pool. Dark clouds had moved in quickly, heavy and menacing in the sky. Now lightning zigzagged sharply, illuminating the mountain range closest to them.
“I know,” said Drea. “The monsoons are totally insane. They roll in, do a bunch of crazy shit, and then roll out. This storm will be completely over in less than an hour. This is monsoon season, so don’t be surprised if this happens for the next few weeks.”
Mia sat without talking for a few minutes, taking in the energy of the thunderstorm. Her own energy, coiled like a spring, strained anxiously to be released. Her cat prowled close to the surface. It had been several days since she’d shifted, and her lioness was getting surly out of pure impatience.
“Hey, do you know of any trails close by? Maybe one that doesn’t get a lot of traffic?”
“Yup. I know the perfect one,” said Drea. “Only about fifteen minutes from the apartment. That’s the nice thing about living so close to the mountains here. It might be a little bit muddy, but it’ll be great tonight. You probably won’t run into anyone.”
Mia smiled at her friend. “Awesome. Thank you.” She desperately needed to get out and shift, to breathe some fresh air, and to simply run. And to get Tristan off her mind until she could finally get her hands on him.
Chapter Four
Mia slid into the empty seat, with less than a minute to spare. She’d left a bit later than she’d wanted to, and then finding a parking spot had sucked more than she had ever imagined. She had promised herself she wasn’t going to be late to any of her classes, and, so far, she’d upheld that vow—but there had been a few close calls. Punctuality had never been one of her strengths.
Her desk in the back of the room gave her a good view of Tristan’s seat, just a few rows down. He grinned at her, and she gave him a little wave then quickly turned away to grab a notebook from her bag. His gaze lingered, and she smiled to herself, enjoying the attention. Go ahead. Look all you want. I don’t mind a bit.
She resisted the urge to peek at him again. That was what he wanted. What he expected. A sexy guy like Tristan had girls drooling over him all the time. But keeping him wondering what the hell she was thinking? A million times more fun. She wanted him—she had made up her mind about that—but she’d make him work for it first.
Callie walked to the front of the room with a large spiral bound book in her hand. “Hey there, everyone. Good afternoon! Please take out your lab manual—it’s the huge book that weighs about a thousand pounds in your backpacks right now.”
Most of the students laughed, and, soon, loud shuffling and an influx of chatter filled the room as everyone got their supplies out. Mia laughed, too. She liked her TA already.
“Okay, I’m going to introduce the experiment to you first,” continued Callie, “and then we’ll go over to the laboratory tables and get started. Today, we’re going to extract caffeine from coffee and tea. So, open your manuals to page five, please.”
Mia opened her lab manual then titled and dated a fresh page in her notebook. She tried to pay attention to Callie who talked about the experiment, but her thoughts kept veering off-track. Was that Tristan’s scrumptious scent making its way over to her? She sniffed lightly. Mmm. Oh, yes. That same scent had turned her brain to mush the other night. The smell of earth and fresh air and spice—the perfect combination of pure male. And pure predator.
Did no one else smell this absolutely tantalizing scent? To her surprise, no one else seemed distracted. Even Tristan was paying attention and jotting down notes. Dammit, Mia. Focus!
She quickly copied the diagrams Callie had drawn on the board. Callie must have already gone over most of the lab procedure, and Mia had missed it while zoning out. But the sketches were familiar, and Mia breathed a sigh of relief—her chemistry professor had discussed this topic in yesterday’s lecture class. P
hew.
“Any questions?” asked the TA. “Otherwise, go ahead and grab a lab apron and some goggles and find a seat at one of the lab tables. You’ll be working with a partner. I’ll be walking around the room to help out.”
Mia joined the herd of students milling toward the lab area. She selected an apron and goggles and made her way to an empty lab table. Tristan had disappeared in the crowd of students, and she wondered if he would come find her. Was he already sitting somewhere else? Maybe that was for the best—she wanted to do well in this course and having a distraction in the form of a delectable jaguar shifter might not be advisable.
She put on the lab apron and propped the goggles on top of her head. Opening her lab manual to the caffeine experiment, she scanned the steps of the procedure she had missed while daydreaming. It appeared simple, thank goodness. She double-checked that all the materials needed were already on the lab table.
“Hey. Is anyone sitting here?”
She looked up. Tristan stood next to her. A wave of electric heat surged through her body, and her cheeks flushed. His heady scent washed over her, permeating her nostrils with pure deliciousness. Holy. Wet. Panties. She needed to gather her composure, like right now. The last thing she wanted was to jump on him in the middle of the laboratory.
“Um…no. The seat’s open.” She gave him her most welcoming smile and hoped it didn’t reveal that her lioness had already worked herself into a tizzy. Mia’s gaze roamed across his wide chest, clad in a dark grey T-shirt, and then down…even farther…oh, mmm. She imagined herself trailing her fingers along his tightly muscled torso and lightly cupping his cock through his jeans. How easy it would be to pop open the button…and lower the zipper….
Okay, kitty. Pull yourself together. You are the lioness here, and you are in charge!
“Everything okay?” Concern showed on the handsome lines of his face.
“Of course! Please sit.” Mia pushed her bag and books over to her side of the table so Tristan could have room for his.